After blowing out Columbia late Saturday, UM baseball needs one win to advance to super regional

The Miami Hurricanes baseball team — quite surprisingly — is just one win from its first NCAA regional title since 2016.

Second baseman Dorian Gonzalez Jr. drove in a career-high eight runs, and Griffin Hugus fired a 123-pitch complete game as third-seeded Miami defeated the fourth-seeded Columbia Lions 14-1 late Saturday night.

Miami (33-24) entered this regional coming off two straight 12-2 losses — at home to Notre Dame in the regular-season finale and in the Hurricanes’ disappointing one-and-done ACC tournament performance, losing to Cal.

“We went in there [ACC tournament], fighting for our season,” Gonzalez said. “To get beat the way we did, it would’ve been easy to get down on ourselves and say this might be it [for the season].

“But we came back home and practiced hard. The coaches said it was one of the best weeks of practice we’ve had all year, and it has shown this week.”

Maybe, as Allen Iverson once famously said, this was all about practice. Or, maybe this was a Miami team that underperformed most of the season but is now finally playing to its identity as one of college baseball’s blue-bloods.

Either way, the fact is that Columbia (30-18) will take on top-seeded/regional host Southern Miss (45-15) in an elimination game on Sunday afternoon. The winner of that game would have to beat Miami twice – on Sunday night and again on Monday — to win the regional.

That alone puts Miami in a great situation. But Hugus’ complete game also saved Miami’s bullpen, which will enter Sunday night much fresher than whomever they have to play for the title.

Miami’s two starting pitchers so far in this regional — AJ Ciscar and Hugus — have combined to allow just four runs in 16 innings (2.25 ERA). That means Miami’s bullpen has had to cover just two innings, thanks in large part to Hugus.

“Griffin is one of those guys who always complains when we take him out of the game,” Miami coach J.D. Arteaga said after Saturday’s win. “We have explained to him that there will come a time when we’re going to ask him for 120-plus pitches when we really need it, and that’s what happened [on Saturday].”

Meanwhile, Gonzalez is the beneficiary of batting one spot behind Hurricanes star third baseman Daniel Cuvet, who is hitting .386 with 19 doubles, one triple, 17 homers, a 1.196 OPS and 81 RBI in 56 games.

In two games in this regional, Cuvet is hitting 4 for 6 with five runs scored, five RBI, three walks, two doubles, one homer and zero men left on base.

“I’m hitting behind one of the best — if not the best — hitter in the country,” Gonzalez said. “I know the team trusts me to hit behind Cuvet. I just have to keep coming through like I did [Saturday night].”

Indeed, Gonzalez — Miami’s cleanup hitter — had a monster game Saturday with a grand slam, a three-run homer and an RBI single, going 3 for 4.

Arteaga said teams may now have to reconsider whether to walk Cuvet to get to Gonzalez.

“We have a lot of guys who are key factors on this team,” Arteaga said, “but Dorian hitting behind Cuvet is a big one.”

Gonzalez, who is hitting .267 with an .808 OPS, 10 homers and 54 RBI, was asked if teams intentionally walking Cuvet bothers him.

“It definitely lights a fire in me,” Gonzalez said. “But, at the same time, I have to go up there with the same approach. Stay calm, and stick to the game plan.”

Miami on Sunday night will start right-hander Tate DeRias (2-2, 3.98), and Gonzalez is confident in the Hurricanes freshman.

In fact, Gonzalez is confident in his entire team.

“We’re not done,” Gonzalez said. “We’re going to finish the job [on Sunday].”